Stretching and drying rack.



J. R. BARRE.

STRETCHING AND DRYING RACK. APPLICATION FILED MAY 13. 1916.

1 37,742, Patented Aug. 21, 1917.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET I- PM 4 m u:iL f J L JJ:E1 L C E L j J. R. BARHE.

STRETCHING AND DRYING RACK.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 13, I916.

Patented Aug. 21, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

W 75415 vzqya' JO HIN R. BARRE, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA; ASSIGNOR T0 STANDARD FELT CO1VI- PANY, OF WEST ALHAMBRA, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

STRETCI-IING AND DRYING RACK.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN R. BARRE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county-of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Stretching and Drying Rack, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the art of manu facturing felted sheets. The principal object of my invention is to provide novel stretching and drying means by which wet felt sheets may be stretched into a fiat condition and quickly dried while in this condition. 1

A further object of my invention is to provide a rack on which these sheets may be stretched and to provide this rack with casters so that the stretching operation may.- be performed under ordinary conditions of temperature and humidity, the rack then being rolled into a drying chamber which has controllable conditions as to temperature and humidity.

v A further object of the invention is to provide novel mechanism by which the sheets can be stretched.

In the drawings, which are for illustrative purposes only:

Figure 1 is a side view of a preferred form of rack.

Fig. 2 is a sectional plan on a plane represented by the line 02 of Fig. 1 of a portion of a rack, this plane being viewed in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 3 is a side view of the jack.

Figs. 4 and 5 are elevations of portions of alternate forms of my invention.

Fig. 6 is a view of the ratchet used in the form shown in Fig. 5.

In the form of the invention shown in Fig. l, a pair of standards 11, preferably formed of pipe, are provided, each of these standards fitting inside of the upper portion 12 of a tee 13, the standards 11 being free to turn freely in the tees 13. Secured on either branch of the tee 13 are pipe members 14, these pipemembers having at their extreme endscasters 15. Secured near the top of the standards 11, by means of a nut 16, a washer 17 and a key 18, is an upper stretching member 19. The standards 11 are connected by tees 20, these tees being connected by a cross brace 21.

Sliding freely on the standards 11 is a lower stretching member 22. Secured in the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 21, 1917.

Application filed May 13, 1916. Serial'No. 97,443.

upper stretching member 19 are pipe braces 25, these pipe braces extending down and connecting into a casting 26 in which a threaded stem 27 is rigidly secured- The stem 27, forms a portion of a jack 28, said jack being provided with a nut 29 fitting on the stem 27, this nut being rigidly secured to a bevel gear 30 which is driven through a bevel gear 31 from a handle 32. This form of screw jack is old and no claims to novelty are made thereon. All these parts are supported in proper, relationship by a frame 33 which is secured by bolts 31 to the lower stretching member 22.

Secured to the upper stretching member 19 are hooks 35,'and secured to the lower stretching'member 22 are similar hooks 36. The stretching members 19 and 22 are pref erably of channel section, and the books 35 and 36 are preferably placed on either side thereof to provide space for securing the felt.

The method .of operation is as follows:

The jack 28 is actuated to draw the members 19 and 22 close together, and the strip of felt to bedried is secured on the hooks 35 and 36, two sheets of felt being commonly dried at once, one being placed on either side of the stretching members 19 and 22. After the felt has been suitably secured on the books 35 and 36, the jack 28 is operated by the handle 32 to move the stretching members 19 and 22 apart, thereby exerting tension on the felt and pulling it flat. The handle 32 is so located that it can be readily manipulated by the operator reaching between thesheets of felt from either side. The pipe members let are commonly located at right angles to the members 19 and 22 during the stretching operation, which stretching operation is performed. outside of the drying room. The rack, with its wet felt sheets attached, is then wheeled into the drying room on the casters 15, and if desired the members 11 can be turned parallel to the members 19 and 22, so that a large number of racks may be put in the drying room without occupying excessive space.

In the alternate form shown in Fig. 4, the upper member 19 is not shown, the standards 11 being secured to tees 13 in an exactly similar manner to that already described in connection with Fig. 1. The lower stretching member 22 slides freely on the standards 11, tension springs 50 being provided on either side thereof, so that it naturally tends to assume an upper position. A pair of chains 51 are secured in eye bolts 52 in the member 22, these chains passing down and around a shaft 53 which is pivoted in castings- 54 secured in the standards 11. A ratchet wheel, 55, which is worked through a pawl 56 and a lever 57,is secured on the end of the shaft 53, a pawl 58 secured in a casting 59 beingprovidedto hold=the ratchet wheel "in any-position. The felt is secured-01] either sideof the members 19'and Q l as previouslydescribed,and'the chains 51 are wound up -0n the "shaft 53 by means of a-lever57 and a ratchet 56. In the formof theinvention illustrated in Fig. 5, the lower stretching member-'22 is provided-with standards 64 which are pivoted thereto at 65, thesestandards having a plurality of holes 66 by which theymay be securedby means ofpins 67 to levers 68 and'69, The levers 68 and' 69 are pivotedo-n pins 70 carried on the standards 11, said' levers being secured together "in slidable relation by means of pins 71. The lever68 is provided with a projecting handle '72, said handle passing between ;a ratchet member 73 and one of the standards 11. The ratchet member 73 isprov-ided-with teeth 74:, as shown in Fig. G,'s0- tl1at the handle TQ canbesecured in any position.

The method -ofoperation-of the 'form of my invention illustrated in Fig. 5 is as follows:

The felt sheets are secured at either side pushed down, thus pushing down the end of the lever 69, and the lower stretching member 22 is also pushed downwardlythrough the member 64.

It will-be 'noted that in the forms of my invention illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, substitutes forthejack 28-;areshown, these jdif ferent methods being anechanically equivalent a-nid providing ready means for-stretching the felt sheets.

I claim asimy invention A felt sheet stretching and dryingframe comprising a pairof StHIIdJtLIdSyCBOSS members pivoted on the bottom of said standar'ds,--astationary stretching member-secured at each end to each of said standards, a movable stretching member sliding-freely on said standards, hooks'on either side ofsaid stationary and movable stretching member on"-whic,h sheets of felt may-Joe secured, a screw rigidly secured in oneof said stretching -1nenib'ers,-a nut engaging the other member, and means by which an operator can turn said nut "to force said members apart.

In testimony whereof, have hereunto set my *hand at Los Angeles, California, this 5th day of May, 1916. I

*JGHN- R. BARR- E.

Gopies ofithis'apatentwmaymembtainedkfor five 'cents each, by addressing the fiommissioner 0f Patents,

-.Washington;?DJiG; 

